Disclaimer: Characters belong to Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, Gary Tomlin, NBC, et al and are used here strictly for non-profit entertainment purposes.
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance
Spoilers: Everything up to and including the elevator scene, then it switches to AU.
Summary: Sometimes, all that glitters is gold. (Epilogue to the "Undisclosed Desires" series.)
November 18, 2004
Gregory fumbled with his cellular phone as he walked out of the midtown office building. Blustery wind whipped around and between the skyscrapers, howling down the crowded New York City street. The frigid weather wasn't so much of a distraction as was navigating through the throng of people and into the idling Town Car. With a brief nod to the chauffeur, he pressed Send with a satisfied sigh and held the thin Razr to his ear. The line droned aimlessly as he dropped his heavy briefcase onto the leather seat next to him. As he laid his head back, he tried to imagine what Olivia was doing back in Sunset Beach. With a glance down at his watch as the car pulled away from the curb, he decided that she was head down in the station's year-end financial projections. She was grumbling about them during yesterday evening's call.
"Hello?"
He smiled and closed his eyes as he sighed, "Happy birthday, Liv."
Until he met her, he never knew that a smile could traverse a phone line. "Darling! How was your day?"
Another sigh, deeper this time. "The same as the previous three days: long meetings with long-winded lawyers."
She chuckled softly and he instantly saw her in his mind. She was pushing herself away from her desk, sitting back against the high-backed chair in her office. With a quiet inhale, she was standing up, the phone tucked against her ear. She was padding barefoot around her desk, kicking aside the heels she walked into the radio station wearing. "I'm sorry," she sighed, her voice as crystalline in his ear as if she was sitting in the back of the Town Car next to him. "Only one more day and then you'll be home."
He opened his eyes and gazed blankly out the frost lined window. The car was speeding up Madison Avenue, the chauffeur skillfully navigating the evening traffic. "But, not today," he murmured and he heard her sigh.
"Darling, it's fine. I-"
"Liv, it's your birthday."
Another chuckle rippled out of the phone and he frowned as she said, "You're more upset than I am." As he opened his mouth to reply, she continued, "Though, I see your point. It is a milestone. I suppose you'll just need to...make it up to me on Saturday morning."
He smirked at her innuendo even as his hand balled into an angry fist. Mason Vickers was a sadist. The aging founder of the law firm insisted on a full day of meetings and a formal dinner on Friday to close out the annual summit of senior partners. Never mind that some of the partners had families they were anxious to return home to. "Did you have a good day?"
"Yes," she said and he could again hear the smile in her voice. "I got your gift."
Outside the Town Car, car horns honked and blared an annoying symphony. Inside the car, he pressed the phone to his ear as he imagined fastening the diamond necklace around her neck, his hands sliding down to cup her shoulders. "Greg gave it to you already?"
"Yes, first thing this morning. He crawled into our bed and held it out very reverently." She began to laugh and he smiled, a warm current pulsing through his chest. "Oh, darling, you should have heard him! He was trying so hard to act grownup. In this very deep voice, he announced that it was his responsibility to present your gift to me."
"Do you like them?"
"Yes. The diamonds are lovely. Thank you, darling."
He glanced up, watching as the car made the right onto East 57th Street. The golden lights of the Four Seasons glittered in the short distance and he grabbed his briefcase, not intending to wait for the chauffeur to open the door. "Hang on, Liv." He climbed out of the car and leaned down to the dark interior long enough to call out, "8:30 in the morning, Ray." As he crossed the street, he returned to his call. "Sorry, I'm just getting back to the hotel."
"That's alright. But, I do love them."
Gregory nodded at the doorman and strode into the lobby, its quiet ambiance a sharp counterpoint to the noise of the street. "Really?"
"Of course," she said. "You've always had excellent taste and these are exquisite."
"No, you're exquisite."
"You've made a just turned fifty-year-old woman very happy."
"Liv," he began, "stop-"
"Excuse me, Mr. Richards?"
He glanced up and met the gaze of the concierge. The elderly man's normally distinguished eyes were clouded with regret. "Just a minute, Liv," he said into the phone. "Yes?"
"Sir, I'm so sorry. Early this afternoon, we were alerted to a – situation in your suite."
"What sort of 'situation'?"
"A burst pipe, unfortunately. I personally," the concierge quickly continued, "inspected the suite and I am pleased to report that none of your belongings were damaged. As a consolation for the inconvenience, you have been upgraded to one of our finest three-room suites on the 35th floor."
In his ear, he could hear Olivia laughing. "Darling, don't lose your patience."
He sighed deeply and accepted the new room key the concierge held out. "My luggage?" he asked.
"Your belongings are awaiting you in your new accommodations," he explained with a pleasant smile.
"Thank you. Good night." The older man nodded and stepped aside, allowing Gregory to pass. "Are you still there?" he asked into the phone.
"A three-room suite?" Olivia marveled. "What are you going to do with all that luxurious space?"
He stepped into the elevator and stabbed the button for his floor. With a low chuckle, he admitted, "With just me, I'm sure it's going to go to waste." The elevator hummed as it raced skyward and a crackle of static emitted from the phone. "It'll be a miracle if I don't lose service now."
"Gregory," he heard her sigh before she disappeared into a burst of garbled noise.
He pressed the phone into his ear and asked, "What did you say?"
"I said...another day...fifty. Cheer..."
With a sigh, he glanced down at the phone and saw his signal diminished to one barely-there bar. "Liv?" A double beep emitted as the call dropped and he swore, angrily closing the phone. He could imagine what she was trying to say as he shoved the phone into his coat pocket. It was the same thing she said when he found out the annual conference coincided with her fiftieth birthday. Don't worry, she said. It's just another day, she pointed out. Besides, why would I want to celebrate turning fifty, she asked.
Her reasoning didn't reassure him then and it didn't reassure him now. He wanted to be with his wife on her birthday, not nearly three thousand miles away. He wanted to wake up with her in his arms, not one of the hotel's pillows. He wanted to see her and their youngest child over the breakfast table, not the annoying talking heads on CNN. If he was going to be in New York for a week during Olivia's birthday, then he at least wanted her and Greg with him. But, she had meetings with the radio station's board and their six-year-old had school.
With a sigh, he walked off the elevator, glancing down at the key to check the room number before he turned left. The floor was quiet, the only sound was his muffled footsteps against the carpet. He slipped the card key into the lock and pushed the door open when it beeped. He stepped into the corner suite and blinked, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. His briefcase fell to the floor with a loud thump and he could make out the shadows of the living room furniture. The floor-to-ceiling windows showed that he had a postcard view of the illuminated Chrysler Building. He sighed, remembering the first time he took Olivia to New York. When they danced to Miles Davis in the hotel room, the city lights in the background. It was nearly thirty years ago, but he could still feel her in his arms as they gently swayed to the melancholy trumpet.
He reached out for the lamp on the end table and switched it on. Soft light sprang to life and he turned, reaching for the phone in his pocket. He needed to call Olivia back and remind her of that long ago trip.
"Surprise!"
Gregory's head flew up as the sound of his son's feet thundered across the suite. The little boy wore an ear-to-ear grin and held out his arms. Olivia followed behind him, beaming. An instant smile came to his face as he crouched low, caught his son, and swung the little boy into his arms. "Did we surprise you, Daddy? Did we? Did we?"
He kissed his son as the little boy's arms wound around his neck. "You did," he assured the child as he shifted him in his arms. Olivia watched him skeptically, as if she doubted they successfully carried off the surprise. A moment later, her body was against his as she hugged him tightly. He closed his eyes, the annoyance from earlier instantly placated.
Her hand was against his cheek, sweeping up to run through his hair. "You really weren't expecting us? You didn't suspect?"
He shook his head and drew her back against him. "I believed you when you said our son needed to go to school," he murmured, gently kissing her. She giggled, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked up at him.
"Mommy asked Mrs. Bradshaw for my schoolwork. But, I had to finish it all before you got here!" Greg exclaimed.
Olivia's arm went around his waist as they looked over at their son. "Well, that was a good idea of your mother's," he said. "Did you finish everything?"
The child nodded seriously, his brown eyes wide. "And, guess what, Daddy? We get to stay for the weekend!"
"Oh?" he asked as he turned back to Olivia. She nodded as he lowered Greg to the floor, who immediately beelined for the television. With their son distracted, his arms went around her, holding her snug against him. "The weekend?"
She nodded, her arms around his neck. "I changed your flight. I got you moved to a larger suite."
He chuckled. "So, the pipe bursting was your idea?"
She nodded, pride oozing from her expression. "Gustav helped. He was a very willing participant in the charade."
"I'll bet," he said in a low growl as he pulled her against him. She sighed against him, returning his insistent kiss with a level of fervor that heightened it. The scent of her perfume surrounded him as he clung to her.
A chuckle rose in her throat and she gently broke away. "Oh, darling, I missed you," she murmured, his forehead lowered to touch hers. He slowly reached up, parting the collar of her blouse. She smiled and her eyes slowly turned up to his. The diamond necklace glittered around her throat and he reached out, the tip of his index finger dancing over the stones. "I told you they were exquisite," she said softly.
He smiled, cupping her chin. "Happy birthday, sweetheart." She smiled and curled against him, his arms enfolding her. "It's your birthday and you surprised me," he pointed out as she tucked her head beneath his chin. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"I don't need surprises," she sighed. "Just this."
He kissed her head, relishing the warm feel of her body against his. "I still can't believe you're here."
She looked up and her hands cupped his face. As he leaned into her touch, she watched him with an expression of pure contentment. Silence stretched between them, a look saying more than words ever could. Thirty years of complexity and emotion crossed between them, culminating in the only sentiment that mattered: love. Pure and unadulterated love that encompassed each of them wholly. The kind that was a balm to their souls, that comforted them with the mere knowledge of its existence. He never felt that he belonged to anyone until he met her, knowing peace in the warmth of her love and presence.
As his lips parted, a tentative knock interrupted his next statement. He looked to her, questioning. With a small grin, she quickly kissed his lips as Greg jumped up from the sofa. "I'll get it!" he shouted, running to the door of the suite.
"What's that about?" he asked as Olivia pushed his overcoat from his shoulders. As the coat slipped from his arms, she took his hand and led him to the foyer.
"Not what, but who," she corrected as they watched Greg open the door.
"Sean!" the little boy exclaimed, barreling into his brother's outstretched arms. Olivia's pealing laugh danced against the marbled foyer as Gregory turned to her. He squeezed her hand, watching as their sons came in, followed by Sean's girlfriend. "We surprised Daddy!"
"I bet you did," Sean agreed, standing up to look beyond the boy. He grinned and rushed over, wrapping his arms around Olivia. "Happy birthday, Mom!"
Gregory watched as she embraced him tightly before she looked up at him, cupping his face. "Oh, Sean," she sighed happily before she hugged him close again.
Sean peaked over her shoulder, smiling at his father. "You have no idea how hard it was to sit through dinner last night. Were you really surprised?"
"Completely," Gregory admitted, taking his son's extended hand and pulling him in for an embrace. With a hearty clap on his son's shoulder, he continued, "But, you know your mother. Anything-"
"-for a surprise," Sean continued as he stepped back. Olivia was greeting Annabelle, who held out two pink bakery boxes. "I know Mom made dinner reservations for all of us, but we brought-"
"Banoffee pie!" they heard Olivia exclaim, sending a pleased smile to the young woman.
"And, a giant cupcake for Greg," Annabelle explained, holding out the smaller box to the little boy.
The child carefully peered inside the box for a long moment and then looked up slowly. "This is the best thing ever!"
"Let's go put everything inside before we go to dinner," Sean announced as Annabelle greeted Gregory.
A wistful smile danced on Olivia's lips as she came to his side. Annabelle followed Sean and Greg out, chiding them not to eat the desserts yet. Suddenly, they were alone in the foyer and he recognized the expression on her face. He knew that grief, that sadness tinged with regret. It was the look she wore whenever Caitlin came to her mind. Gregory wrapped his arm around her waist and stepped close, whispering in her ear, "Chin up." Her eyes flicker to his as he continued, "Fifty isn't the end of the world."
Her sadness instantly dissipated as she faced him, their chests flush together. "Oh?"
"Speaking from experience," he began, his voice serious but his eyes playful, "it is something that one learns to survive and, eventually, embrace."
She nodded slowly, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I'm old now," she pouted. When he began to chuckle, her eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Our six-year-old won't let us be old," he reminded her, his arms around her waist and holding her snug against him. She nodded with a sigh and leaned in, pressing her lips to his. The gentle kiss lingered between them until he finally pulled away long enough to whisper, "I won't let you be old."
"That's true," she sighed as he kissed a line of feather kisses on her jaw. "After all," she murmured as he leaned in, capturing her lips for the briefest of moments, "I'll still be in my fifties when you turn sixty."
An amused chuckle rumbled in his chest as he reached for her face. His thumbs rubbed against her earlobes, watching her for a long moment. "As long as you're still here," he said quietly.
Olivia's eyes lit up as she turned her face into his hand and kissed his palm. "Until it fades away, remember?" He smiled, remembering her whispered promise in another hotel room nearly six years ago. "Do you know what I realized on the plane?" When he shook his head, she continued, "Of all my fifty years, I've lived the majority of them with you." She smiled as her hands slipped from his shoulders and rested on his chest. "It's official: you are my life."
"For evermore," he whispered as he hugged her to him. "I love you, sweetheart."
She sighed happily, her face turned into his neck. "I love you too."
"Can we go to dinner now? I'm hungry."
Gregory heard his wife chuckle as he looked down to find their youngest child watching them solemnly. "Hungry?" he asked sternly. "Didn't you just eat lunch?"
Greg giggled, hugging his waist. "Daddy...that was hours ago!"
He sighed deeply and glanced at Olivia. "I suppose he deserves another meal, hmm?"
She shrugged, playing along. "I suppose."
"Sean! Annabelle! They stopped kissing and said we can go to dinner!" he exclaimed as he turned and ran back into the living room.
Olivia reached up, wiping a smudge of lipstick from her husband's mouth. He caught her hand and threaded his fingers with hers as he pulled her back in. "Evermore," he whispered as she kissed him quickly, his fingers against her jaw.
She smiled, melting his heart. "Thank you for a wonderful birthday," she said softly.
THE END.